UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE 



BULLETIN No. 860 Hpb 



Contribution from the Bureau of Markets 

 GEORGE LIVINGSTON, Chief 



A^-^Vt. 



Washington, D. C. 



August 20, 1920 



THE ORGANIZATION OF COOPERATIVE GRAIN 

 ELEVATOR COMPANIES. 



By J. M. Mehl, Investigator in Cooperative Organization, and O. B. Jesness. 

 Specialist in Cooperative Organization. 



CONTENTS. 



Introduction 



Forms of organization 



Joint stock companies 



Ordinary private corporations— 

 The cooperative form 



Making preliminary survey 



Local conditions 



Prospective membership 



Capital 



Volume of trade 



Method of survey 



Organization . 



Organization meeting 



By-laws 



Page. 

 1 

 2 

 2 

 3 

 4 

 5 

 5 



Organization — Continued. 



Stock subscription and member- 

 ship 



Incorporation 



Meeting of incorporators 



Changing form of organization 



General suggestions 



Selection of plant 



Directors : 



Manager 



Stock certificates 



Maintenance agreement 



Emergency capital 



Speculative tendencies 



Appendix 



Page. 



21 



24 



26 

 26 

 27 

 27 

 28 

 29 

 30 

 31 

 33 



INTRODUCTION. 



This bulletin is primarily intended to furnish a plan of organiza- 

 tion and method of procedure for persons required to assist in the 

 formation of cooperative grain elevator companies. It should be of 

 interest to producers contemplating organization, to ordinary private 

 corporation types of farmers' elevators desiring to reorganize on the 

 cooperative plan, and to persons interested in cooperative organiza- 

 tion in general. While it has been prepared with special reference 

 to conditions existing in the grain States, it is not intended to meet 

 the particular requirements and conditions which are peculiar to any 

 one- State. Its scope is limited to matters which are regarded as 

 fundamental and general, and the suggestions and recommendations 

 made are to be considered with reference to and in connection with 



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